Just My Imagination
by crystal arie
Summary: *COMPLETE* A little imagination goes a long way. YAOI WARNING! Hanaru/Ruhana
1. Default Chapter

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. I am merely borrowing it. And please don't get mad at me if ever you do not approve of YAOI pairings and such. I am just a beginner so don't be too hard on me, 'kay? ^_^ Thanks! 

CHAPTER ONE 

Hanamichi sighed in relief as he entered the basketball court of the park, seeing that it was empty and had enough sunlight. He checked his watch. 5:50 am... 

"Yosh!" He dribbled his ball lazily as he walked towards the hoop, and stopped in front of it. Remembering what Anzai-sensei taught him, he raised his arms, bent his knees, and jumped, aiming the ball at the center of the board. In slow motion, he watched the ball turn and sail towards the ring until- 

-it went in. 

He laughed with delight and grabbed the ball, all the while whistling his 'I'm a Tensai' song. When he was about to shoot again, he imagined the form of Rukawa blocking him. 

Rukawa looked like his usual self; emotionless, bored, sleepy, and at the same time, serious. He had his arms up and his feet spread, guarding Hanamichi with everything. 

Hanamichi grinned arrogantly at his imagination and shouted, "DIE KITSUNE!!!" And he charged forward. 

His imagined Rukawa narrowed his eyes and instinctively blocked Hanamichi's way, holding his arms out. Hanamichi tried to move to every angle, but he was always blocked. He sweat-dropped. Aren't your imaginations suppose to go according to how you want it to? If so, why couldn't he pass? He stared at Rukawa's eyes and frowned thoughtfully. 

He dribbled and tried to pass Rukawa on the left, but Rukawa saw that coming and easily blocked him. He started to sweat. Even though this Rukawa was only a figment of his imagination, he was _still_ hard to beat. 

Hanamichi saw that there was no other way to score but this... 

He stopped dribbling, held the ball tightly in front of him, and looked up at Rukawa's cold, blue eyes with a smile. The raven-haired boy blinked at that, and stared hard, his defense still tight, thinking that Hanamichi would try to elude him. 

Hanamichi's smile widened even more as he jumped in the air, aimed the ball towards the ring, and gave a loud shout when it went in. 

"YOSHA!!!" He landed on the ground and pointed his fingers at the kitsune's shocked face. "ORE WA TENSAI! BAKA KITSUNE! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!!!" He laughed loudly, happy that he defeated his rival. He looked up to see the kitsune's reaction, and fell silent immediately. 

Rukawa stood there, his arms at his side, his chest rising and falling slowly, his hair disheveled. But that wasn't what shocked Hanamichi. Normally NR Rukawa was actually... 

..._smiling_. Hanamichi just had to stare in stunned silence. He has never seen the dark-haired boy smile, not even once, but now, his imagined rival was doing just that. Hanamichi stared. _ He really looks cute when he smiles like that.._

"NANI?!" He gasped at what he just thought and mentally head-butted himself. "Baka! Nani o shiteru no ka?! Yaro!" He looked up and sighed, seeing that his imagined Rukawa was gone. He shrugged, remembering the way the kitsune smiled, and how those usual cold eyes looked warm... He blushed. "Kirei..." 

He coughed and gave a shout of frustration, scratching his head in annoyance. "ARGH! What the hell is wrong with YOU?! Stop thinking about that smile! HARUKO! Remember HARUKO!" 

Immediately, he saw the face of a smiling Haruko and literally drooled, murmuring in a happy tone, "Haruko-chan..." He saw her face smiling and praising him. He chuckled with happiness. 

All of a sudden, the kitsune's face smiling face covered Haruko's. Hanamichi stared at it for 5 seconds- 

-then he screamed. 

TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. I am merely borrowing it. And please don't get mad at me if ever you do not approve of YAOI pairings and such. I am just a beginner so don't be too hard on me, 'kay? ^_^ Thanks! 

CHAPTER TWO 

_In Shizuoka..._

Kaede glared sleepily at his teammates who were all either snoring loudly in his ear, or mumbling nonsense in their sleep. He rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. 5:45 am... He glowered at no one in particular, muttering, "I don't forgive _anyone_ who disturbs my sleep..." 

He groaned. It looked like he wasn't going to get any sleep, which was a FIRST, so he got out of his bunk bed and changed into his sports attire. After that, he grabbed his ball and headed towards Josei High's court. 

He entered the court and noted that no one was around. He dribbled for a while before he sprinted forward, jumped, and did a perfect slam dunk, holding the bar. 

The ball bounced towards the free throw line and rested there as Kaede finally released the bar and got down. He felt his adrenaline speeding up and turned to get the ball, but stopped short when he heard the sound of breathing from behind him. 

He turned sharply, his body in the defensive position, and got a look of the intruder. His eyes widened when he saw a flash of red and a bossy grin. He blinked. _Sakuragi Hanamichi?_

The Sakuragi form bent down towards the ball Kaede just used and picked up what looked like the ghost of the ball. He dribbled it expertly, all the while grinning at Kaede arrogantly. 

Kaede narrowed his eyes. _What the hell was going on? Why is that do'aho in front of me?_ But then, the Sakuragi form moved forward, trying to pass Kaede, but out of instinct, Kaede blocked him. Kaede blinked then shrugged. He needed to practice his defense, and it seemed his imagination was doing just that. 

Sakuragi moved from left to right, here to there, obviously trying to pass Kaede, but Kaede never let him through. He kept his raised and feet spread. He started to sweat at how the red-head didn't give up at all. 

Finally, Sakuragi stopped and stared at Kaede slowly. He blinked as if to confirm that everything he tried to do didn't work. 

Kaede felt his lips form a tiny grin as he thought, _GAME OVER, do'aho..._

But the imagined do'aho didn't drop the ball and disappear as Kaede thought it would. Instead, Sakuragi looked up at Kaede, his hold on the ball firm, and smiled. 

Kaede felt his heart stop at that smile. He has never seen the red-head smile at him. Sakuragi would smile around the team, his gang, and around that annoying girl that kept staring at Kaede, but NEVER at Kaede. 

Sakuragi, pleased by Kaede's reaction, lifted the ball, jumped in the air, and pushed the ball towards the ring. Kaede watched in slow motion as the ball flew smoothly towards the ring, and just as smoothly, it went in the hoop. 

He stared at the ball for a while, his eyes wide with shock. _How did he...?_ He turned to look at Sakuragi, and watched in fascination as the do'aho jumped around like a child. His mouth moved and Kaede translated some of the words as 'yosha' and 'ore wa tensai'. The next one was kind of hard to translate, so Kaede shrugged it off and smiled at the do'aho's dance of victory. He gave a short laugh. "Do'aho." 

Surprisingly, Sakuragi turned and stared at Kaede as if he heard what he said or something was on his face. Kaede didn't realize that he was actually smiling, so he stared back at the red-head with amused eyes. 

Suddenly, the door burst open and Kaede looked up, annoyed at the disturbance and at the interruption of his little staring contest. 

Mitsui and Miyagi entered cheerfully, talking about what they dreamed, and both 'eeped!' when they saw Kaede glaring at them. 

Mitsui spoke up. "Woah! Rukawa! Don't you know it's only 6:45?! You're suppose to wake up at 10:00!" 

Ryota nodded, eyeing Kaede strangely. "What the heck are you doing up so early, anyway? Are you getting ready for the second game?" 

Mitsui chuckled. "Maybe he's anxious." 

"Isn't that what _you're_ feeling now?" 

"NO WAY!! I can beat those Josei jerks in a snap!" 

"Then why didn't you do that 3 days ago?" 

"I....I was preoccupied!" 

"Hmmm...." 

"Quit starin'!" 

As the two began arguing and teasing each other, Kaede turned to look at Sakuragi and saw no one there. He sighed, whispering, "Do'aho." He couldn't help but feel a strange rush when he remembered the shot the do'aho made. He caught himself and shook his head. _Dumb thoughts. That idiot make a shot? Not possible._

He grabbed his basketball and started practicing. 

TBC 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. I am merely borrowing it. And please don't get mad at me if ever you do not approve of YAOI pairings and such. I am just a beginner so don't be too hard on me, 'kay? ^_^ Thanks! 

CHAPTER THREE 

Yohei eyed his best friend with suspicion. Hanamichi, who usually ate his ramen in 3 seconds flat, was staring at it as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. It was nerve racking. Plus the fact that he was so quiet. 

Yohei sighed and sipped his coffee. "Okay, Hanamichi, shoot." 

Hanamichi started, as if Yohei just appeared out of thin air next to him, but he covered this up by asking with a strained grin, "Wh-what are you talking abou-" 

"Something's been bugging you, Hanamichi, and as your best friend, you can tell me." Yohei interrupted silently, setting his cup down. 

"Nothing's wrong, Yohei. Really, I'm fine." 

"Oh? Then why haven't you touched your ramen for the last 15 minutes?" 

"I-I was going to!" With that, Hanamichi grabbed a huge pile of noodles with his chopsticks and was about to shove it all in his mouth when a CERTAIN face passed before his eyes. He paused momentarily and stared, feeling his face redden at the smile on the raven-haired boys' face. He sighed and set his chopsticks down. Silently, he inquired, "Ne, Yohei?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"I-ummm...this is...kind of embarrassing to ask...demo...ano..." Hanamichi blushed. 

Yohei waited patiently, watching Hanamichi. 

Hanamichi took a deep breath and blurted out, "I think about Rukawa a lot." He shuddered and forced himself to continue. "And whenever I think about him, he's always..." He blushed at the memory. "Smiling...and I'm starting to find him really...attractive." 

Yohei raised his eyebrows at that and asked carefully, "When did this start, Hanamichi?" He was shocked at Hanamichi's confession, and didn't know what else to ask. 

Hanamichi pushed his ramen away and bowed his head. "Three days ago, around 6:10, I think." 

Yohei nodded. "And...do you like him, Hanamichi?" 

Hanamichi's head snapped up as he gasped out, "WHAT?! NO WAY! I HATE HIM! Well, DESPISE HIM! Ummm...well, not really...I HATE HIM! ADMIRE him, but HATE him! Well, a little on HATE and ADMIRE! HATE is greater than ADMIRE, or is it the other way around...? ARGH! HATE! NO! ADMIRE! NOT LIKE! It's-" He stopped his rambling, stared at his hands helplessly, and groaned, laying his head down again. "I-I dunno." 

Yohei smiled gently as he nodded. He knew his best friend well enough. Over the 50 break-ups that he has had, he watched his friend stutter like a fool and go down on his knees and beg, but whenever he asked that question, Hanamichi would always give a definite answer. Either a yes or a no. 

But now... 

He patted his friends back encouragingly, a plan formulating in his head. "Ne, they're coming back tomorrow, right?" 

"Aa..." came the muffled reply. 

"Then why don't you test yourself to see if you like him or not?" 

Hanamichi lifted his head slightly. "How?" 

Yohei chuckled. This was getting interesting. "Well, talk to him like you usually do. If you turn away blushing like mad or stare at him, then you like him, BUT, if you act like your usual self, then you don't like him. It's as simple as that. Okay?" 

Hanamichi looked at his best friend. "Will you and the gundan be there?" 

"Of course! We promised to help you reach 20,000 shots, and you only have 1000 to go! We won't abandon you!" 

Hanamichi smiled brightly. "Thanks man!" He saw his ramen in front of him and began shoving it in his mouth enthusiastically. "Mmmm...omai!" 

Yohei smiled, then sighed quietly. _ Hanamichi and Rukawa...a strange but-_ He glanced at Hanamichi and admitted -_good pair._

TBC 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. I am merely borrowing it. And please don't get mad at me if ever you do not approve of YAOI pairings and such. I am just a beginner so don't be too hard on me, 'kay? ^_^ Thanks! 

CHAPTER FOUR 

Kaede saw the ball go in the hoop and heard the buzzer sound off, signaling the end of the game. He looked at the score-board and exhaled, feeling a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face. 

Shohoku : 33 

Josei : 34 

He cursed silently and watched the other team scream with happiness at their victory. 

Kaede blinked when he heard a faint sob to his left which sounded like- _Do'aho?_ When he turned, no one was there. He shook his head. _ Baka...he's not here..._ He clenched his fists. 

Akagi's strained voice broke through Kaede's thoughts. "Line up and shake their hands, minna." 

Mitsui passed by Kaede and patted him on the shoulder. "Good work, Rukawa." 

Kaede nodded in return and walked forward to shake the hands of the other team. After doing so, he and his teammates went off towards their locker room. 

Kogure, who has been watching Rukawa the whole time, touched his friend on the shoulder. When Rukawa turned, he said, "After you change, meet me outside the building." 

Kaede merely nodded, feeling drained as he walked towards their room. He sighed. Hearing someone sigh beside him, he looked up, and was shocked at the sight of a certain red-head walking beside him. 

Hanamichi wiped the sweat off his face and gave Kaede one of his genuine smiles. "Good work, Kitsune." 

Kaede stared at the beautiful face in front of him, not saying anything in return. He watched as the do'aho slowly reached out and brushed a lock of wet hair from Kaede's head away from his eyes. He smiled after doing so. 

Kaede felt his heart melt at that gesture. He has always known girls were after him since he was born, but he was never really interested in them nor did he feel anything with them. But with Sakuragi... Without his knowledge, he smiled back, liking the feels of Hanamichi's hand moving down from his hair to caress his cheek. Kaede leaned into his touch and turned his head to give a small kiss on the do'aho's wrist, which seemed to send a shiver through Hanamichi. 

Shyly, Hanamichi blushed as he leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed Kaede's cheek. Kaede smiled and inclined his head, his lips searching for the re-head's, finding, pressing... 

"OI! RUKAWA!!" 

Kaede snapped out of his daydream and looked at Miyagi, a little breathless. "Aa?" He croaked out, wiping his face to hide the blush. 

Miyagi gave Kaede a confused look and repeated slowly, "I said, do you want to go with me and the gang out later? We're going to that new amusement park by the beach to have fun and stuff." 

Kaede saw an image of the do'aho smiling warmly at him and sighed. "Arigatou, demo, iie." 

"Eh? Doshite?" Mistui asked. 

"...tired." 

"Ah..sou." 

"Quite understandable!" 

"Ne, Miyagi! You and Ayako-chan going to the TOL?" 

"TOL?" 

*Smirk* "Tunnel of Love, baka." 

"Ah!" *Stare then blush* "Ah..." 

"Hmmm...you and Ayako-chan riding a girly swan boat..." *evil chuckle* "Kawaii..." 

"U-urusai!!" 

Kaede snorted at their childish teasing, and recalled what he just imagined. Instantly, he blush and groaned. _ 9 days away and I'm missing that baka already. Cute...very cute..._ He hit himself mentally on the head and concentrated on getting out of his wet attire, not noticing Akagi's strange look towards him. 

TBC 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. I am merely borrowing it. And please don't get mad at me if ever you do not approve of YAOI pairings and such. I am just a beginner so don't be too hard on me, 'kay? ^_^ Thanks! 

CHAPTER FIVE 

"Okay Rukawa-kun, what happened back there?" 

Kaede was caught off-guard by that question. Kogure may be the vice-captain of the team, and he seemed like a fair-weathered guy, but he never asked Kaede anything in a serious tone or gave him a calculating look. 

Kaede shifted his head to the side. "Nani?" 

"What happened to your playing?" Kogure emphasized, as if talking to a 3 year old. "You didn't play like you usually do. It was as if you were distracted by something or someone." 

_Yeah, a certain red-headed do'aho with a great smile and cute face._ Kaede shrugged in response. "I wasn't in the mood to play." 

Kogure looked at Kaede's face and smiled. "It's Sakuragi-kun, isn't it?" he said softly. 

Kaede's eyes widened as he looked at Kogure, his mind frozen and his heart beating like mad. _How?..._ "How?" He blinked when he realized that he said it out loud. 

Kogure smiled gently. "It's quite noticeable, you know, if people pay good attention to each of their teammates." 

Kaede raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms across his chest. "What's noticeable?" 

Kogure seemed quite surprised. "Eh! Eto...umm...don't you think...ano...ummm...are you?" 

"Nani?" 

Kogure suddenly looked as if he wanted to be swallowed up by the ground rather than bringing this topic up. He swallowed and fixed his glasses. "Ah-ano, Rukawa-kun, are you...gay?" He shuddered at the word, waiting for Kaede's response. 

Kaede seemed to think it over, then looked at the vice-captain. "What are the signs which made you think that I am?" 

Kogure stiffened. "Why do you want to know?" 

"Just curious." 

Kogure noticed that Kaede's expression was still passive, so he swallowed and blurted out only some of the signs. He wasn't going to risk being murdered NOW. "Well, umm...you don't seem to like girls very much, you hardly notice them. You're always expressionless, but whenever you see Sakuragi-kun, you either glare at him or call him 'do'aho', which is quite rare. You respect him in a different way, and you can't seem to concentrate when he's not in the area." Kogure took in a deep breath and smiled. "Most was gathered over the past 9 days." 

Kaede was still expressionless. "That's all?" 

Kogure waved his hand back and forth. "Well, the rest are not that important, so I zeroed it down to these." 

"Hmm..." Kaede thought it over, his eyes going from here to there, obviously trying to sort things out. Kogure watched with wary eyes, wondering if it was such a good idea to bring it up. 

Finally, Kaede looked at Kogure, who was shaking and swallowing like nuts, and murmured, "I guess I am." 

"Eh?' Kogure returned to his usual self and eyed Kaede cautiously. "Wha-what did you just say?" 

"I guess I'm gay." Kaede repeated, then looked at Kogure seriously. "Ne, Kogure-sempai?" 

"Hai?" 

"Do you..." Kaede blushed. "Do you think he feels the same way too?" 

Kogure looked at Kaede carefully. "Why ask?" 

Kaede rubbed his head as he felt his face become hot. "Just wondering." 

Kogure though it over. Sakuragi Hanamichi, ka?... He smiled and gave a nod to Kaede's tense face. "I think there's a good chance." 

Kaede breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Yokatta." Then, he looked at Kogure in wonder. "Hey sempai, how did you get to be so good in these kinds of situations?" 

"I..." Kogure blushed. "I have someone in mind too." 

Kaede gave him a sly look. "Who?" 

"Not telling!" 

"You made me tell." 

"I GUESSED him!" 

"Still the same." 

"No, it's not!" 

"Is it Miyagi?" 

"NO!" 

"Sendoh?" 

"NO!!" 

"Akagi?" 

*Sweat-drop* "Spare me." 

*Thoughtful look, then stare* "Mitsui." 

*Blush and fidget* 

Kaede's eyes widened and he grinned. "Sou ka..." 

"Ma-matte! You don't know what you're saying!" 

"Hmmm...Mitsui-san." *Look* 

"What's with that look?" 

*Smirk* 

"RUKAWA-KUN!" 

"Aa?" 

"Stop smirking!" 

*Stare* 

*Sweat-drop* "Stop staring." 

*Grin* 

"Stop grinning!" 

*Chuckle* "Heh, Mitsui-san." 

"Shut up!" 

*Amused laughter* 

Kogure blushed and glared. "You know, I think I prefer your boring and quiet self to this new one." 

"Too late." 

*Groan* 

"Hmmm...Mitsui-" 

"SHUT UP ALREADY!!!" 

*Evil laugh* 

TBC 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. 

CHAPTER SIX 

The Sakuragi gundan all watched with anxiety as Hanamichi held the ball tightly, he's knees bent. 

"This is it." 

"After a week and 3 days of hard training." 

"One more shot." 

Haruko held her breath, Yohei crossed his arms, and Anzai-sensei fixed his glasses. All eyes were focused on one person only, and all comments and such were silenced. 

Hanamichi inhaled, arched his arms, jumped, and threw the ball. He watched it fly, roll, and finally, it bounced on the board, and fell in the hoop. 

He gasped at what he did, and then he shouted, "YOSHA! I did it!" 

The Sakuragi Gundan all shouted for Hanamichi and ran towards him, patting and praising him. Hanamichi felt tears threatening to fall, but he held them in. He settled for shouting at the top of his lungs. "Yatta!! Yatta ne!!" 

"Sakuragi-kun." Anzai-sensei's voice broke through Hanamichi's shouts. Hanamichi turned and watched the coach. Anzai-sensei merely smiled and said, "Good work." 

"OMEDETTO, HANAMICHI!!" Yohei cheered, patting him on the shoulder. 

Hanamichi laughed out loud. "NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ORE WA HONTO NI O TENSAI DESU! NYAHAHAHAHA...!!" He was grabbed by his gang and pats and slaps rained down on his back, but Hanamichi never noticed. He was too busy running the news towards his brain. _ I did it! 20,000 shots! I did it!_ "YOSHA!!!" 

Just then , the gym door burst open, and the basketball team entered. Upon seeing Anzai-sensei, they all greeted him loudly. 

Hanamichi jumped happily towards Akagi and squealed out his delight. "Nyahahahahahha! So, how was the camp without the tensai? Hah! You must have felt weak without me!" With that, he laughed out louder than ever. 

Miyagi stepped forward. "Teme!" 

Mitsui glared. "I expected this!" 

Kaede glowered. _ Do'aho. I actually MISSED you?!_ He snorted in disgust. 

As Hanamichi continued to laugh, Akagi came up behind him and bashed him on the head. As he groaned in pain, Kogure decided to distract Anzai-sensei from Akagi's favorite past time which happened to be pummeling Hanamichi into a pulp. "One win, one loss, and one even, Anzai-sensei." 

"Ah...good, good." He answered. 

Hanamichi rubbed his head, dully noting what Kogure said. "So, it was a draw." 

Akagi glowered at him. "You finished your part, right?" 

"Hmph!" Hanamichi jumped away to avoid Akagi if ever he was going to hit him again. He grinned arrogantly. "HEHE! The special training was a piece of cake for a TENSAI basketball man like me!" He reached up to rub his shoulder blade and kneaded the muscles as he smiled. "Ma...you wait and see." 

In the background, the Sakuragi gundan jumped up and cheered. 

"You did well!" 

"You're entitled to say that!" 

Akagi smiled. "Hmph. You look confident as usual." 

Hanamichi laughed and went over to Anzai-sensei. He casually draped an arm around the shoulders of the coach and boasted, "Na, oyaji, I'll show it to them soon!" With that, he and Anzai-sensei started laughing together. 

Miyagi stared. "What did he practice?" 

Mitsui glared. "What is it?" 

Kaede glowered. _Do'aho._

Akagi broke the silence. All right! Everyone have a good rest tonight. Practice starts at 2 tomorrow. Understand?" 

"HAI!!" 

As everyone started to go home, Yohei nudged Hanamichi on the ribs. When Hanamichi turned to look at his best friend, Yohei nodded his head towards Rukawa. "Well? Talk to him!" He whispered. 

"Eh!" Hanamichi glanced at Rukawa nervously and stuttered like a fool. "Ah-Yohei, ano...tomorrow! Yeah! I'll test it tomorrow!" 

Yohei gave him a hard look. "Too late." 

TBC 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. 

CHAPTER SEVEN 

"Hah?" Hanamichi instantly stilled at that reply. 

Yohei patted his shoulder and said gently, "Remember what you said at the ramen house? If you spoke to him like you usually do, you don't _ like_ him. But, if you talk to him differently, you _ like_ him." 

"Aa." Hanamichi affirmed. 

"Well," Yohei looked away, saying, "You DIDN"T talk to him, which counts for talking to him DIFFERENTLY, and in conclusion, you..." 

Hanamichi's eyes dulled. "...like him?" He whispered faintly. 

Yohei nodded and gave his friend an encouraging smile. "Maa...it's okay. Rest up. You had a long day, both physically and mentally." With that, he left, leaving Hanamichi to stand there at the center of the court. 

Everything that happened after that seemed to pass by in a blur. He remembered Haruko-chan helping him clean the gym, him agreeing to see her tomorrow, and assuring her that he could finish cleaning up, so she could go home early. She seemed uncertain at first to leave him, but after a while, she smiled and nodded, thanking Hanamichi and telling him that he did a great job. 

Finally alone and drained, Hanamichi lay down on the gym, his form spread out, his face looking up at the ceiling. He sighed and thought back on what Yohei said. He closed his eyes and murmured, "So...I'm gay...ka?" 

He exhaled and closed his eyes as he tried his best to relax his system into accepting the new fact. He chuckle. 50 break-ups, and now being gay...life couldn't get any stranger than this. 

He smiled and saw the kitsune's face in front of him. He reached out and gently ran his fingers along the raven-haired boys' smooth cheek, all the while whispering his own poem as he stared transfixed at the face. 

_ "Eyes as haunting as the deep, blue sea,  
Hair as soft and cool as the wind,  
Lips that gently kiss my own with love,  
And a beautiful soul that has no end..."_

He moved his finger along the shape of the kitsune's lips and marveled at how soft and warm they seemed under his touch. He smiled. "So, I like you, eh?" 

"Do'aho..." Came the gentle reply. 

Hanamichi's eyes widened at that, his arm slackened, and his body became tense, as he stared up at the form looming above him. He swallowed and gasped out, "Ki-kitsune?" 

Kaede raised an elegant brow. "Aa?" 

Hanamichi reached out and grasped Kaede's arm. Faintly, he whispered, "You're...real?" He asked in disbelief. 

Kaede gave Hanamichi a weird look. "Aa." 

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Hanamichi screamed, jumping to his feet and glared at his rival while blushing. He struggled to breathe. Oh God...he felt sick. He just touched the kitsune, recited a stupid sappy poem about him, and- he scratched his head in annoyance. He looked at Rukawa and stuttered out, "Na-na-na-I mean, what are you doing here?! It's-" He checked his watch and continued. "10:15! You're not suppose to be here!" 

Rukawa straightened his form and walked towards Hanamichi in a predatory way. He grinned slyly as his eyes traveled up and down the redheads' body. "Actually, I was going to ask you that question." 

"What-"Hanamichi felt his voice disappear as he took a step back every time the kitsune took one towards him. He swallowed nervously and looked around for a way out. He saw that there was none. He nearly cried out. _ Oh great! I'm stuck with HIM! Help me, Kami-sama!_ He looked at Rukawa's face and tried to stall him. "So, ano...oh yeah! How was the training camp in Shizuoka?" 

"Fine." Rukawa didn't stop walking forward. 

Hanamichi tried again. "Uh...wa-was Josei really hard to beat?" 

"Not really." 

"Ah-how many points did you score by yourself in all 3 games?" 

"79." 

"So, ummm...aren't you tired or something?" 

"Iie." 

Hanamichi's back made contact with the wall, and he jumped at the feel of cold metal on his skin. He watched Rukawa warily as he continued walking lazily towards him. He felt his knees buckle. _ God..._ He watched the moonlight hit Rukawa's face and felt his breath escape. His eyes felt weird. _ Even i this kind of situation, he still manages to look cool, composed, and..._ He groaned, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. 

"Ru-Rukawa..." Hanamichi gasped out. 

Rukawa smiled gently, and reached out to caress Hanamichi's face. "Kaede." 

"Kaede..." Hanamichi felt his mind clouding up until he couldn't think straight. _Oh God, I REALLY like him after all._ He felt Kaede brush his knuckles along his jaw line, as the other hand held his chin and tilted it. 

"Hanamichi..." Kaede whispered as if it was a song, and brought the redheads' face closer to his as he stepped forward, chest touching chest. Hanamichi closed his eyes as Kaede kissed his cheek. "I missed you." 

"Ho-honto?" Hanamichi asked, cheeks tainted red. 

"Aa." Kaede hugged the warm body to his and asked seriously, "Hanamichi...I want to know something before we continue." 

"Continue?" Hanamichi lifted his head off Kaede's shoulder as he drew back. 

Kaede looked at the hazel brown eyes and felt his heart stop. He wanted nothing to do but kiss the do'aho senseless, knowing that the redhead liked him back, but he knew that he had to ask him first. "Are you..."He blushed and tried again. "I-I mean, I found out that I am and I don't want to force you into it if you aren't, and I...like you, so...are...you...?" He blushed again, failing to complete his question. 

Hanamichi watched Kaede quietly, noting how strained his arms and face were. The hands that were on Hanamichi's applied more and more pressure every now and then, and his body was tense. Hanamichi felt his eyes widen. Ever since the first day he met him, Kaede always seemed to get anything he wanted with force. He could have done the exact same thing with Hanamichi, but instead, he asked. Hanamichi smiled lovingly. _Ahhh...I really like you...baka kitsune._

Kaede rubbed his head. "Ummm...are...are you..." He blushed harder. 

"I am." 

Kaede's head snapped up, and he was met with a warm smile. He watched as Hanamichi embraced him, holding their bodies so close to each other that they could feel each other's heart beats. Hanamichi rested his head on Kaede's shoulder and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth from the other boy. Kaede raised his head. "Hanamichi?" 

"You know..." Hanamichi whispered. "We should give each other nick names, don't you agree...Ru-chan?" 

"Ru-..." Kaede blinked at that and chuckled, his own arms encircling the do'aho's. "Well then, I'll stick with calling you..." He grinned. "Do'aho." 

"Eh?" Hanamichi lifted his head, his mouth shaped in a pout. "Change that, Ru-chan! It's not my name!" 

"Demo do'aho is cute." 

"It's not! Call me...Hana-kun or something!" 

"Hana-kun..." Kaede thought it over, his arms tightening their hold around the redheads' body. He shook his head and smiled. "Nah. I really like do'aho." 

Hanamichi groaned. "Fine. Then I'll call you baka kitsune." 

"Okay." 

"Wait! I wasn't seriou-mphf!" Hanamichi's sentence was cut off as Kaede's lips landed on his. 

TBC 


	8. Epilogue

Title: JUST MY IMAGINATION   
Author: Crystal Arie  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa  
Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. It belongs to Takehiko Inoue. 

EPILOGUE *WARNING! A TINY LIME PART AHEAD!* 

"Wait! I wasn't seriou-mphf!" Hanamichi's sentence was cut short when Kaede's lips landed on his. He was shocked at first at the feel of another persons, another BOYS, warm lips on his, but at the feel of a hot tongue run along the shape of his lips, he groaned and pressed himself closer, marveling at the new sensation. He grasped Kaede's head and pulled him closer and deeper into the kiss. 

Kaede chuckled. Do'aho..."Mine." He whispered possessively, and without breaking the contact of the lips, he slowly lowered their bodies to the cold basketball floor, placing Hanamichi under him. His hand traveled down the redheads' hair, to the neck, shoulder, down his chest, and giving Hanamichi a grin, he slipped his hand under the shirt and trailed his was towards an already stiff nipple. He place it between his 2 fingers, and with an evil grin, gave it a sharp tweak. 

Hanamichi broke off from their long, passionate kiss and gasped, his mouth swollen and wet. He whimpered with need as Kaede continued his attack on his nipple. He arched his hips up, rubbing against Kaede, and created a friction that nearly sent him into a frenzy. He needed more...He tugged Kaede's shirt of impatiently, threw it somewhere, and latched unto the exposed skin at the base of Kaede's neck. 

Kaede gasped at the assault and felt the bulge of his redhead angel brush against his. He growled and pulled Hanamichi back. Hanamichi resisted at first, but Kaede kissed him fully on the mouth, running his tongue along the sides of his tongue until the do'aho finally opened his mouth with a sigh and Kaede slipped his tongue in. 

Hanamichi groaned and gasped at the same time. "Kami-sama..." he whimpered helplessly, falling into a boneless heap on Kaede. He grasped Kaede's hips and decided to give the kitsune a little of his own medicine. With that, he tugged Kaede forward and at the same time, he pushed his body forward, bringing both of their constrained erections to rub each other. 

Kaede cried out, and seeing Hanamichi's evil smile, he grinned. "Do'aho..." He grabbed Hanamichi's arms, turned him, and pulled him back against him, Hanamichi between his legs, back to Kaede's chest. Kaede pulled off the do'aho's shirt and licked his own trail from the shoulder to the ear, nibbling none-too-gently on the lobe. 

Hanamichi buckled at the shot of pleasure that coursed its way through him, and rubbed his back against Kaede's warm chest. He sighed. _ This is heaven..._

Kaede sucked Hanamichi's neck loudly, making the redhead moan hard, bucking again against him. Kaede fought for sanity and rasped out, "Hana-kun, are you ready to...?" 

Hanamichi instantly stilled, and everything was silent. Their rash breathing was the only thing both boys could hear as Kaede hugged his do'aho to him, whispering, "You know, we don't need to go all the way-" 

"I DO!" Hanamichi gasped out, but his eyes showed fear. 

Kaede kissed him on the lips softly. "I won't get mad, Hana-kun." He reassured. "Just tell me yes or no. I won't force you into anything." 

Hanamichi shuddered at that last sentence and turned to hug Kaede, tears unconsciously falling from his eyes to Kaede's shoulder. "Gomen, Kaede...I-I want to, really, demo...this is all just too new...and..." He choked as fresh tears burst out. 

Kaede hugged the sobbing boy to him, murmuring endearments in his ear. This boy...Kaede couldn't help but admire at how he always seemed to want to make everyone happy. He hugged Hanamichi to him and whispered, "You're something else, my do'aho..." 

Hanamichi sniffed at that and hesitantly brought his head up. "Kitsune?" 

Kaede smiled. "It's okay. We have a lot of time, and besides," He gently wiped away the tears on his redhead's face and kissed him. "We haven't even dated yet! I think that that should come first before anything else, right?" 

Hanamichi blinked, looking entirely innocent. "Kitsune..." 

Kaede chuckled and leaned in, kissing Hanamichi into oblivion. He ran his hand over he warm body in front of him and groaned. "Gomen, but even though I just said that, my body won't listen." 

Finally, Hanamichi laughed. "The result of keeping all your emotions and thoughts stored inside your body." He wiped his face and smiled at Kaede. "Thank you." 

Kaede smiled and stood up, retrieving both of their shirts as Hanamichi watched silently. When Kaede handed him his shirt and place his on, Hanamichi couldn't help laughing again. Kaede blinked. "Nani?" 

"Nothing. It's just that...WOAH!" Hanamichi shook his head in disbelief. "You know, it seems like everything's going too fast. I mean, finding out that I am GAY, imagining you, and...EWWW! I actually made up that sappy poem! YUCK!" 

Kaede smiled and helped Hanamichi get to his feet. "I just figured it out 4 days ago that I was gays practically my entire life." 

Hanamichi paused and glanced at Kaede. "4 days ago?" 

Kaede nodded, raising his eyebrow when the redhead's mouth opened wider. "Around 6:10 in the morning, I think. Doshite?" 

Hanamichi swallowed and smiled nervously. "Well...it may just be coincidence, but," He looked straight into Kaede's eyes. "I found out that I liked you...4 days ago, 6:10 in the morning." 

Kaede's eyes widened. "Wait a sec..." He looked at Hanamichi in alarm. "Did you..." He cleared his throat. "Did you...take a shot?" 

Hanamichi nodded. 

Kaede stared. 

Then they both murmured, "Woah..." 

Kaede gulped. "Unbelievable..." 

Hanamichi laughed. "You're starting to sound like Hikoichi!" Then he doubled over and laughed even more. "And it actually suits YOU!" 

Kaede blushed and raised his fist in a threatening manner. "Shut up! Think seriously! I just saw you take a shot!" 

"And you tried your best to block me. Big deal. I saw you, you saw me. It was fate." Hanamichi smiled at that and clung on to Kaede's arm. "And I seem to like what it ended up doing to both of us." 

Kaede looked at the ceiling and muttered, "This is serious, do'aho." 

"Sure it is." Hanamichi mumbled, snuggling closer to Kaede's body. He smiled. 

Kaede looked down at the redhead and smiled. He walked on, Hanamichi still hanging on to him and decided to tease his do'aho. "You know, you really smell great." 

Hanamichi blushed. "Ah...arigatou." 

They exited the gym and closed the door. When they continued walking, Kaede grinned. "And you know, your neck tastes nice." 

*Blink* "Uh...thanks." 

"And your lips are like honey." 

"Okay...please stop." *Grumble* 

"And your body is so warm." 

"Quit it, Ru-chan." 

"And your tongue-" 

"ENOUGH!" 

*Evil grin* "Why Hana-kun?" 

*Blush* "Teme, kitsune, anyone can see us!" 

"And?" 

*Blush* "And it's embarrassing!" 

*Snort and grin* "Do'aho." 

*Glare* "Baka kitsune!" 

"Do'aho." 

"Baka kitsune!" 

"And you know, your nipples are-" 

"BAKA KITSUNE! HENTAI! URUSAI!!" 

*Amused laughter* 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Kiminobu Kogure smiled at the antics of the 2 freshmen and noted, "You know, they really make a good pair." 

"Guess so..." came the husky reply. 

Kiminobu gasped when arms encircled his torso and pulled him against a warm chest. He tilted his head back and blushed when his eyes met the others. "Mitsui...?" 

"Hisashi, Min-kun." Hisashi murmured, placing a chaste kiss on Kiminobu's shoulder, and a long one on his lips. He broke off their kiss and nibbled on the ear lobe. 

Kiminobu gasped again and nodded. "Hisashi-kun..." 

Hisashi smiled and held Kiminobu's body close. "So...what about us, Min-kun?" 

"Mmmm...?" Kiminobu asked quietly. 

Hisashi rested his head on top of Kiminobu's and elaborated. "What kind of pair are we?" 

Kiminobu smiled. "A good..." He paused, and smiled. "Iie...a _very_ good pair." 

Hisashi smiled back. "My thoughts exactly." 

Kiminobu blushed as he leaned in to give Hisashi a chaste kiss, then snuggled his nose to the crook of Hisashi's neck, inhaling the scent of the man he loved...and closed his eyes. 

OWARI...Iie..it was only the beginning... 

Camry: *waves* hello! well, how was it? this is actually the very first Slam Dunk fanfic that i have written, so...REVIEW please! ^_^ 


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